Former Illinois Governor Is Denied Appeal, Stays in Prison

Posted on May 28, 2008

tomroeser.com

George Ryan first came to national prominence when he acted in 2000 to commute the death sentences of all Illinois prisoners.

The fraud and racketeering case against former Illinois Gov. George Ryan has come to an end after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his final request to appeal his 2006 conviction. With no other move to make, Ryan, who has been incarcerated since late 2007, will likely seek a commutation of his six-year sentence from President Bush.

The New York Times:

The United States Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it would not hear an appeal by former Gov. George Ryan of Illinois of his 2006 racketeering and fraud conviction.

The decision ended the judicial process for Mr. Ryan, and hours later his lawyer said he would probably seek a commutation from President Bush of what is left of his more-than-six-year federal prison sentence.

The lawyer, James R. Thompson (also a former Illinois governor), said any larger purpose in the conviction and sentence of Mr. Ryan, 74, had been served. “The man has gone from being the governor of the state of Illinois to being a prisoner in a federal penitentiary,” Mr. Thompson said, later adding: “His career is gone. His reputation is gone.”

Mr. Ryan, a Republican, was governor for one four-year term that ended in 2003 with a federal investigation looming. In 2006, he was convicted of corruption that federal prosecutors described as a “mutating virus” among politicians in Illinois. He was accused of putting taxpayers’ money toward campaign work, lying to federal agents and handing out contracts to friends in exchange for gifts for himself and his family. He went to prison last November.

It’s not enough that this guy has gone through the entire court system and has been found guilty through that exact system that is the final say on the incarceration of many AVERAGE people. But here we go again! Another one in the spotlight, vs. how many quiet commutations and pardons that we don’t know of yet. Will Bush jump of his helicopter, side step press and walk to immediately sign his pardon? And inform us that he knows best that justice has been served?

Two types of people - Bushes friends and the rest of us. There is enough evidence now to put these reckless cowards in front of a world court and see if they are crimanals or not. Just like this example of Ryan, put that creepy set of people up in front of their peers and bring out all of the information in order to find them innocent or guilty. IF found guilty, no more of this pal system where the back door allows for the convicted to quietly walk through it and be sucked up some obscure company all while saying justice has been served.

But be careful, to say to the world that a treasonous Rove, or a facist Cheney, or a Bush killing our children in an this insane war, may end up going to serve in prison. This may just result in the rest of the world regaining some confidences in this grand democratic experiment. Maybe this country will practice what it preaches——Naw!